US First Drive Mustang Dark Horse

August 7, 2023

Ford Mustang Dark Horse

The new-generation Ford Mustang is due in Australian showrooms in the first half of 2024. And rather than launch with only the regular line-up – the V8-powered GT and the turbo four-cylinder EcoBoost – Ford will launch with a special edition from the get-go.

It’s called the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and is the spiritual successor to the Mach 1 that was sold towards the end of the previous-generation model. This iteration is called the Dark Horse because, Ford says, we didn’t see it coming. It also has a menacing forward-facing ‘pony’ badge for the first time (rather than the side-on view of a leaping Mustang). Each Dark Horse badge is mounted on the front fenders and boot lid.

The bodywork might look familiar, but this is a new model on the reworked underpinnings of the outgoing Mustang. The engines have had significant overhauls, and the 10-speed automatic transmission has been recalibrated for smoother and more intuitive shifts. 

How much does the Mustang Dark Horse cost in Australia?

Ford Australia is yet to announce pricing for the new Ford Mustang range – or the Dark Horse edition.

Does the Mustang Dark Horse have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

Wireless and wired connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available in the US and expected in Australia, though local specifications are yet to be announced.

The cars on the preview drive were not equipped with premium audio. We’re not sure if this means premium audio is not available, or if Australia may add that to the mix once it draws up its spec sheet.

But it still has most mod-cons, such as USB-C and USB-A charging ports, as well as a wireless smartphone charging pad.

Is the Mustang Dark Horse a safe car?

Some buyers might say they don’t care about safety – as long as the vehicle passes Australian Design Rule (ADR) regulations.

However, it is worth noting ADRs are a low bar, and in the past few years we have seen new vehicles enter the Australian market, only to later discover their ANCAP crash-test performance was left wanting, with one-, two- or three-star ratings in an industry where the maximum of five is considered the bare minimum.

The previous-generation Ford Mustang – on which this new model is based – initially scored a poor two-star score in 2015 and was upgraded to three stars in 2017 after some minor technical changes.

What safety technology does the Mustang Dark Horse have?

The usual suite of advanced safety technology is standard on the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse, including autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-zone warning.

A 360-degree camera and rear sensors are also standard. There are seven airbags (two front airbags, two seat-mounted side airbags, two ‘curtain’ airbags and a driver’s knee airbag.

The speed-sign recognition and ‘smart’ cruise-control system on the test car tripped up a few times.

We had the speed set to the correct limit, but then inexplicably the car began to accelerate to the next speed tier (from 55mph to 65mph). A quick dab of the brakes disabled the cruise control and the acceleration, but it was a highly unusual technical gremlin. It happened three times during our US test drive.

Is the Mustang Dark Horse fuel-efficient?

The average fuel consumption claim for the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is listed at 13.8L/100km based on US data. This makes it thirstier than the Ford Mustang Mach 1 it replaces (12.4L/100km). This is the price of delivering more power. The fuel consumption data we saw on the preview drive was not indicative of real-world use because the test entailed track time, so we will reserve judgment until we test it on local roads.

What is the Mustang Dark Horse like to drive?

The Dark Horse gets the same menacing new design as the rest of the new Ford Mustang line-up – with the wide grille and wedge-style tail-lights – but it comes with revised suspension, a new wheel and tyre package, Recaro sports seats, and massive race-bred Brembo brakes.

It’s the most powerful, non-supercharged 5.0-litre V8 Mustang to come out of the factory to date. And it sounds incredible, whether you’re standing near the front or the back of the car. The quad exhaust tips and rear muffler set-up sound even throatier than the Mach 1 – and much more assertive than the comparatively muted noise from the regular Ford Mustang V8.

The other impressive aspect of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse: the revised Brembo brakes. They have been uprated to 390mm two-piece discs clamped by six-piston callipers up front and 355mm discs and four-piston callipers at the rear. Not only do they wash off speed with incredible ease – despite the weight of the car – they have a precise pedal feel, almost like a good pair of scissors.

The paddle shifters on the steering wheel (in automatic variants) also give the driver an extra level of control, especially in tight turns. The six-speed manual is light and precise (for a big, heavy performance car) and the rev-matching on downshifts works a treat. But we reckon the auto is the pick of the two if you want to accelerate faster and more efficiently.

What was evident on the track, however, is the Ford Mustang Dark Horse with the Performance Pack (sticky tyres, lightweight wheels, extra aero) is a brilliant turn-key solution for weekend warriors who like to participate in amateur motorsport on weekends.

The grip and responsiveness from the tyres are extraordinary. In this guise, it has the reflexes of a hot hatch rather than a V8 muscle car. Previous experience tells us, though, this ‘semi-slick’ tyre package is dicey for road use, especially in the wet, as it takes time for the tyres to warm up. So Ford Australia has made the right move opting for the street version of the Pirelli tyre rather than the track version. Any buyers who want to be weekend warriors can source the Performance Pack separately.

While the track experience was in an automatic equipped with the Performance Pack, our road drive was in a manual on regular Pirelli rubber. The suspension is taut – and can be busy at times – but it is not bone-jarring. Magnetically controlled dampers help iron out most (but not all) of the bumps. The Recaro sports seats look snug – and they are – but they are not suffocating. Ford seems to have made them a little broader this time around for large folks.

Downsides? There aren’t many. The biggest blot on the new Ford Mustang’s copybook: unfortunately Ford has elected to cram as much cabin-control functionality in its touchscreen as possible, at a time when other manufacturers are reinstating dials and buttons for key functions.

This means adjusting the air-conditioning or switching radio stations must be navigated on a touchscreen while you’re trying to keep one eye on the road and one on the display. Is it a deal-breaker? Probably not. Would the new Ford Mustang be a better car to live with day-to-day with a few buttons and dials added back in? Absolutely.

This article was originally featured on drive.com.au and can be viewed here.